Wait until the music's over

45. Jordan, spiders and dull knives

"I mean, how can you lose a game like that?" I'm in disbelief as I ask my friend, who's sitting at the other end of the couch, as he gives me the bowl with popcorn, at least what's left of if.

"Yeah... What a game though, uh?"

"Bulls are growing up as a team, they could even win the title this season. If only they stopped losing games like idiots"

Eddie nods, his mouth full of popcorn, while on tv the coach of the winning team, that is San Antonio Spurs, is being interviewed and the phone starts ringing.

"Who can it be?" Eddie asks still chewing.

"I don't know, surely someone who'd have seriously risked his life, had they called only five minutes early" I grumble as I try and stretch out towards the nearby armchair to grab the phone without standing up from the sofa. And of course it falls on the floor. But bad luck can't do nothing against my lazyness, I give a couple of tugs at the rug and the phone ends magically in my hands. Eddie watches the scene, half perplexed and half totally resigned to living with an idiot.

I press the button to answer the call and before I can put the phone against my ear, I hear someone coughing on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jeff"

"Angie?" I immediately recognize her and the very moment I say her name, Eddie quickly turns towards me. The poor guy wasn't expecting to find me here, ready, staring at him with my knowing smile, wating for his reaction, so to conceal his interest in the girl he gestures for me to give him the bowl back, where only a few crumbles and unpopped kernel are left, pretending to have sudden popcorn withdrawal symptoms.

"Yes! Dementia hasn't got the better of you old man yet. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thanks, unlike you, from what I can hear, dear young girl"

"I've got a little cold, for a change"

"Don't even try that"

"Try what?"

"Making excuses not to come to tomorrow's concert"

"I'm not making excuses and I didn't mention the concert" sure, as if I didn't know you!

"Yeah but you're tasting the pulse anyway"

"But I'm definitely coming to the show tomorrow, don't worry!"

"Ok, I hope so, for you, or Stone and I will never talk to you anymore"

"You're so dramatic. I should do the same to you then, after the other night"

"The other night? What night? What did I do?" I don't know what she's talking about, but the noise of the popcorn bowl falling and rolling down the floor on my left indicates me who I should ask about it.

"Last week! You all stood us up, don't play dumb"

"I don't stand anyone up, wai-"

"OH JEFF! JEFF! LOOK, THEY'RE INTERVIEWING JORDAN!" the little asshole I share the apartment with quickly cleaned the mess he made with popcorn and now he's turning the tv volume up to the maximum, as he shakes me by the shoulder trying to distract me from the conversation on the phone. Does he really think I'm so stupid?

"Oh, I hear Eddie's there too! Ehm good, can I... can I talk to him? I've got something, ehm something to ask him..."

"Sure... just wait a second, ok?" I put the phone receiver against my chest and calmly take the remote from Eddie's hands to press MUTE "So what?"